How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

It seems simple, right? Take a shower and wash your hair daily. Wrong! Washing your hair may seem like a simple task, but you would be surprised how many curlies are doing it wrong. Washing your hair incorrectly can lead to scalp irritation, dandruff, lice and other scalp issues. Certain hair types and textures only require washing once a week, where otherswork well washing 2 to 3 times a week. Learn how to wash your hair correctly and give your hair a clean and beautiful look.

Many curly girls don’t know how often they should be washing their hair. We’ve done the research and explain to you how often you should wash your curls.

First, let’s talk about what makes our hair feel dirty…

Sebaceous glands are to blame! Sebaceous glands are glands in our skin that secrete an oily/waxy matter, called sebum, to lubricate our skin and hair. These glands are connected to an individual hair follicle. They are responsible for secreting sebum, the natural oils that moisturize and waterproof your skin and hair. This is why our hair can feel or look dirty.

Thick Hair or Tight Curly and Kinks

You Should Wash Infrequently: Less is More.Shampooing can be the last thing on your mind, since you only need to wash your hair about once a week (and sometimes less)! Your hair doesn’t feel dirty easily, so you don’t need to cleanse it until it feels dirty. Daily washing is a bad idea because your hair would be way too dry.

You have the luxury of waiting a number of days until you feel like it needs washing again. To refresh in between washes, try a dry shampoo or conditioner. Co-washing is a great option for those with thick, coarse hair.

Medium Curls, Kinks and Waves

You Should Wash Your Hair In Moderation.You can afford to shampoo every few days. If you skip a day, no need to worry because your curls will look great with a little refreshing! Curls look great and the texture will work well with a small amount of oil in your hair. Low shampoos or a shampoo bar is great for you. Make sure to pineapple to help you achieve better second day hair. If you work out a lot, you may need to co-wash in between shampoos. You can also water wash between co-washes. Water washing means that you massage your scalp using just water, no shampoo, cleanser or conditioner. Some people do this in between their co-washes/shampoos.

Author

Jenell B Stewart MS, the founder and editor in chief of the award winning website KinkyCurlyCoilyMe.com dedicates most of her free time educating and uplifting women with natural hair by way of her extremely popular website and YouTube channel. Jenell has been featured in Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise.com, and starred on the Dr.Oz television show as a Beauty Expert. In 2012 she was named one of Essences top Instagramers and that same year KinkyCurlyCoilyMe won an award for “Favorite Website” of the Natural Hair Community.